This section of 494 provides students with an introduction to the reading, history, and making of comics and graphic novels. Comics have often been associated with popular culture, pulp fiction, and ephemerality. Yet comics merge image and text to create a unique form of sequential art that is becoming ever more visible and influential in our contemporary world. Our focus in this course will be on the semiotics of comics; additionally we will look at the history of the medium and, in particular, the place of diverse characters and creators — all with the purpose of giving you a set of tools for creating your own comics and critiquing the creations of your peers.